Period Features

If you’re one of those house hunters who insists on living in a period home, take a bow. Not only do you get sash windows, fireplaces and cornicing — you also get the prize for being canny with your cash.

According to research, owners of Georgian and Victorian houses make a bigger profit — and are less likely to lose money — than those with more modern properties.

The average profit on a Georgian property is almost £163,000, and only 5% of sellers make a loss. Owners of Victorian houses are even more likely to end up in the black — 96% sell at a profit, compared with the national average of 90% — and with a typical gain of £97,235, they run out as the second biggest winners.

Edwardian homes have the third biggest average profit, but their prices grew comfortably faster than those of Victorian houses (8.9%, compared with 7.9%).

At the other end of the scale are homes built in the 1990s. Despite a backdrop of rising prices, 16% of these fail to sell at a profit, and those that do make the lowest gain: £77,686, compared with an overall average of £91,684. Houses built since the 1940s have grown more slowly in value and offer their owners smaller profits and a greater chance of making a loss.